The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-04

minated in war. the relation OF the
States to the Federal Government mad
become almost the reverse of what 1t
was at the birth of the Republic. In
1879 the States were the creators OF the
Federal Government; in 1864 the Fed
eral Government was the creator OF a
large majority of the States In 1919
the Federal Government had derived All
the powers delegated to il by the Con
stitution from the States; IN 1901 ma
iority of the States derived ali their
powers and attributes as states from
Congress under the Constitution.
In 1879 the people of the United
States were citizens of States originally
sovereign and independent; in 1861
vast majority of the people OF the
United States were citizens OF states
that we're originally mere dependencies
of the Federal Government, when was
the author and giver of their poltleAi
being. With all these forces on TN
side of the Union, backed by majority
of State Governments, with their re-
served powers, it was natdrai conse,
quence that the unity and integrity OF
the United States as a sovereign natloh
should be established on the battlefield
that its Government should come out OF
the conflict with prestige and power
greater perhaps than any on earth; ana
that the eleven minority States, after
resistance as heroic as any recorded IN
the annals of Greece and Rome, shouid
succumb to overwhelming forces.
THE POLICY OF RECoNsTRUcTIoN.
1t is not necessary here to go over the
policy of reconstruction. 1t was the on
spring of misconceptiOn and distrust.
| Its theory was that the Federal success
| in arms over the Southern people was
only partial one; that the sentiments,
passions and aims of the Southern peo-
| pie were still and would continue to be
rebellious to the authority and hostile
to the policy of the nation; that the ter
mination of the war having put an END
| to the absolute military control, 1t be-
came necessary to substitute another or
ganization which, though not purely
military, would be no less etfectual IN
its function of repression AID force. Its
avowed purpose was the reversal OF eV-
cry natural, social and political relation
on which the civilization OF the South
rested. But in the process OF time
| large portion of the dominant section
saw not only the odious injustice of the
system fastened upon the South, but the
danger to the whole country which its
maintenance threatened. The result
was full and equal restoration o. the
Southern States, with all their rights
under the Constitution, upon the one
condition that they would recognize, as
elements OF their new political life, the
validity of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth,
and Fifteenth amendments to the Consti-
tuition, guaranteeing and establishing
the indlssolubility of the American
Union and the universally of American
; freedom.
: From that time we have seen those
States by their faithful adherence TO
this pledge, steadily advancing, year by
: year, in their right of self-government,
taking their place with larger numbers
and wider influence in the councils of
the nation, and doing all this with
} temper, moderation and patriotism that
is fast commanding a. general belief
: among the mass of the Northern people
that the full and equal presence OF the
: South, according to the measure of her
population and resources in every de-
partment of the Government, so far
!. from being a danger to the national Sc
curity, is a contribution to its highest
| and best interests.
| have prefaced what have to say of
I Mr.. Calhoun with this brief sketch of
e the controversy in which he bore part,
. because believe if he were here to-day
l and could see his own South Carolina,
D the land of Rutledge, MOultrie, Law
= renee, Hayne, Lowndes, Sumter and Ma
rion, restored, largely through the eff
e forts of her lion-hearted Hampton, to her
e proud position of dignity and equality
in the Union, he would say to her that
the great controversy being closed at the
e ballot-b box, closed by the arbitrament of
e war, and, above all, closed by the Con-
Y stitution, always deemed sacred and in
] violable by her, she sacrifices no princi-
/ pie and falsifies no sentiment in accept
a ing the verdict determined henceforth
e to seek the hapF ness of her people, their
t greatness and glory, in the greatness
n and glory of the American republic.
= WHERE LIES THE SOVEREIGN POWER OF
q SOCIETY?
i After giving a condensed statement of
, Mr.. Calhoun's early life and education,
u the orator took him up at the time of
! his entrance into Congress at the age OF
e twenty eight, on the eve of the war of
1912, and described his political princi-
pies;
He rejected alike, said Mr.. Lamar, the
dogma of the sovereignty of monarchies
and aristocracies on the one hand, and
! ON the other the shallow fiction of the
social contract as the foundation of gov
! eminent. He asserted boldly that soci.
ETY. and government both were of Divine
ordination; that the Supreme Creator
> and Ruler of all had in his infinite wis
4 aI = ha 81 Il
litical state as the best adapted to the
! development of the moral and intellec-
tual faculties and capacities with which
he had endowed him. The fundamental
principles of government he found in
the wants and feelings and tendencies of
man, wrought there by the hand of God,
: which, in their development, assumed
the attributes and functions of formal
governments. The external forms and
organizations designed to prevent the
; tendency of government to disorder end
injustice, called constitutions, are the
contrivances of men, who are left to
perfect by their reason and free will the
government that the Infinite has or
: dained Just a. he created the material
laws of the earth, and left man to inn
press it with his own personality. The
right to prescribe these constitutions
and to coerce society into submission to
them is sovereignty. That power in a
nation which holds this supreme author
ity in the last resort, from which there
; is no appeal to higher power, is the
sovereign power Of that nation. Where
, that supreme, absolute and ultimate
power resides is question which has
not only challenged the speculations OF
philosophers in the closet and statesmen
10 the national councils, but has also
been debated on bloody fields in arms
, On this question Mr.. Calhoun was, from
} principle, always Republican and an
: American Democrat. He maintained
that the people were the legitimate
} source of all political power; that gov
} ernments ought to be created "by them
and for Them" that powers conferred
upon government are not surrendered
but delegated, and as such are held in
in trust and not absolutely, and can be
rightfully exercised only in furtherance
of the objects for which they are dele
gated; and in order to guarantee the
responsibility of the rulers to be ruled
and to secure the control of those elect
ing over those elected, universal suffrage
is the primary and Indispensable foun-
dation of republican governments
CALHOUN ENTERS CONGRESS.
| Mr.. Clay has more than once declared
that in no Congress of which he had
knowledge has there been assembled
such galaxy of eminent and able men
as were in the House of Representatives